This invention relates generally to splice housing apparatus for housing one or more splices between electrically conductive wires contained in cables, particularly, communication cables, and in particular this invention relates to splice housing apparatus suitable for burying in the ground and for protecting a cable splice or splices from water damage which can be caused, for example, by ground water.
Various apparatus are known to the art for housing or containing one or more cable splices and certain of these apparatus are known for being burled underground where there is a tendency for water to enter the apparatus and cause damage to the cable splices. Various bodies of material are known to the art for preventing water damage to such splices. Such bodies of material are also known for being placed in splice housing apparatus which is buried underground.
A problem known to splice housing apparatus for being buried underground is that the splice or splices contained in the apparatus tend to contact the interior surfaces of the apparatus and such contact prevents the body of water damage preventing material contained in the apparatus from entirely surrounding the splice or splices and exposes the unsurrounded splice or splices to water damage.
Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for new and improved splice housing apparatus, particularly apparatus for being buried underground, which includes means for maintaining the splice or splices contained in the apparatus substantially out of engagement with the interior of the apparatus and generally suspended within the apparatus, whereby a body of water damage preventing material contained in the apparatus can substantially fully surround such splice or splices and prevent water damage thereto.